|
|||||
|
|
Lyme disease serology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
|
| Authors: | Muddasir Qureshi MD Richard S. Bedlack MD PhD Merit E. Cudkowicz MD MSc |
| Affiliation: | 1. Neurology Clinical Trials Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 13th Street, Building 149, Room 2274, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA;2. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;3. Division of Neurology, Duke University and Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA;4. Disclosure:: Dr. Bedlack is a speaker for Lilly and Pfizer, and has received grants from UCB Pharma and the ALS Association |
| Abstract: | Lyme disease is sometimes part of the differential diagnosis for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Herein we report on 414 individuals with ALS at the Massachusetts General Hospital who underwent laboratory testing for Lyme disease. Twenty‐four (5.8%) were seropositive, but only 4 (0.97%) had confirmed past immunoreactive infection. Two of these patients received ceftriaxone for 1 month without clinical improvement. Lyme disease was rare in 414 patients with ALS and is not likely to be causative. Muscle Nerve, 2009 |
| Keywords: | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Lyme disease motor neuron disease neuromuscular disease neuroborreliosis borrelia burgdorferi serology |